The invention relates to an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape; and more particularly, to such an apparatus having two reel discs, at least one magnetic head, a pressure roller which is arranged on a pivotable pressure-roller arm and which is movable against a capstan, and idler wheels, which are adapted to be driven by a central drive wheel, for driving the reel discs. Typically a normal-mode idler wheel and a fast-mode idler wheel are arranged on pivotable normal-mode and fast-mode idler arms respectively, which are each movable between an inoperative position and at least one operative position. In the operative position the normal-mode idler wheel and the fast-mode idler wheel respectively engage with one of the reel discs for normal or fast transport of the magnetic tape respectively. Brake arms are also provided which are movable to engage the reel discs with active portions of the brake arms. The apparatus further includes a switching lever which is pivotable by a central actuating device. For positioning the pressure roller arm, the normal-mode idler arm, the fast-mode idler arm and the brake arms, the switching lever is coupled to these arms.
An apparatus of this type is known from British Patent Specification No. 1,047,032 to which U.S. Pat. No. 3,244,018 corresponds. In this known apparatus the arms are controlled by a central actuating device, but in this case the actuating device itself is not capable of pivoting the switching lever. The actual pivotal movement is provided by a mechanical coupling between the switching lever and the actuating buttons on the apparatus, as a result of which the construction of the known apparatus is comparatively intricate. Furthermore, it is not possible with the known apparatus to perform the customary functions when magnetic tapes accommodated in cassettes are used, because the actuating device cannot provide a displacement of the magnetic head and does not have a fast-winding facility in two directions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,202 a magnetic-tape cassette apparatus is described in which various functions are controlled by means of a central actuating device. However, this central actuating device comprises a switching lever which can only be set to two instead of three positions. For this reason the known apparatus comprises an additional actuating device for switching to a fast-wind mode, which additional actuating device lifts the brake arms and releases the fast-mode idler arm to pivot the fast-mode idler wheel to an operating position. This results in a more intricate and expensive construction.